The Oregon Ducks' roster will look quite a bit different this year than it did in 2024, with new faces across the depth chart expected to step up and become the playmakers on one of the best teams in the nation.
More than playmakers, what Dan Lanning and his staff are looking to identify during the spring football season, which resumes on Tuesday, is leaders.
From last year's team, the Ducks lost Dillon Gabriel, Tez Johnson, Terrance Ferguson, Jeffrey Bassa, and Marcus Harper, all of whom were among the biggest leaders on the roster. Looking specifically at the offensive line, Oregon will be without Harper, Josh Conerly Jr., Ajani Cornelius, and Nishad Strother, with four new starters this year.
Leadership will be key for that unit, and offensive coordinator Will Stein is confident about its source.
"I love that Poncho is finding his voice," Stein said after Oregon's second spring practice earlier this month. "He was an underclassman last year, but now for me, he is the anchor up front. He didn't necessarily start as a freshman, but he played a lot, so to me, he's almost like a three-year starter for us. He's definitely one of our leaders."
Laloulu anchored the offensive line at center last year and is projected to be one of the best interior offensive linemen in the nation this year. That leadership will be necessary in a season with anywhere from 1-3 incoming transfers expected to step into starting roles on the offensive line.
Behind Poncho, it will be important for whoever steps in as the starting quarterback—Dante Moore or Austin Novosad—to fill the leadership void as well. Stein is very focused on that over the next few weeks.
"I keep challenging our quarterbacks to find their voice," Stein said. "We talked about being the conductor of the offense today and what that means, and what I'm expecting out of them from a leadership standpoint. We all know it takes time to develop leadership, and it starts with your actions. I believe we have the potential to have a lot of strong leaders on the team. It's through these practices, and then summer and fall, and through real games for them to really show. I would say Poncho right now is doing a really good job up front and really establishing that culture for us."
The Ducks will resume practice this coming week as they ramp up toward the annual Spring Game on April 26. While we won't see any starters named, it won't be hard to understand which leaders are stepping up during that time.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks' Iapani Laloulu stepping into new leadership role
